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Cardinals Must Bottle Up Tarik Cohen

Change-of-pace back Chris Thompson hurt defense in season opener

Adrian Peterson received the lion's share of the Redskins' running back workload in Week 1, but it was Chris Thompson who really made the Cardinals pay.

Thompson's speed and elusiveness put stress on the defense, and he finished with five carries for 65 yards as well as six catches for 63 yards and a touchdown.

The Bears have a similar makeup, with Jordan Howard the main back and Tarik Cohen the change-of-pace weapon. Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is still developing, so much of the Bears' success could be tied to the running backs.

The Cardinals know they have to do a good job of slowing down Cohen in the open field.

"We've just got to make sure we tackle," linebacker Josh Bynes said. "Even if that one guy misses, miss to your side so it gives everyone else time to get there. At the end of the day, you don't want to be out there in open space, break down and let him run past you. Like everyone's taught around the league, shoot your shot and get him to stop his feet. If you can get him to stop his feet, then it gives you as much time as you can to get everybody there."

Cohen only has 33 rushing yards and 33 receiving yards through two games, but he is a big-play threat. Bears coach Matt Nagy will likely try to get him the ball in creative ways.

"We've got to be disciplined," coach Steve Wilks said. "We've got to make sure that we maintain our gaps. As I talked about before, everybody just doing their job. This guy right here can get to the perimeter, so we've got to do an excellent job in leveraging the football. They split him out at receiver, so understanding exactly where he's aligned, his bucket of plays, and what they're trying to do with him."

Chicago Bears' Tarik Cohen runs past Green Bay Packers' Kentrell Brice during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
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